Tag Archives: tortoise

Turtle on the Lam

You might not imagine a two hundred pound tortoise would be much of an escape artist. Houdini the turtle? Hard to picture… unless you know Willy. Willy is an eleven year old African tortoise who lives near Riverside, California. He joined the Larsen family as a birthday present. When Willy came home from the pet store, he was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Nowadays, Willy is tipping the scales at two hundred pounds. He tips over tables and gives rides to young Larsen nieces and nephews. The family had no idea that Willy would get … Continue reading →

More Viral Animal Emails: Heart Tuggers

Back in August I wrote about a certain type of email we all get: the forwards. You know what I’m talking about –the jokes and anecdotes that assure you they’re the funniest thing and you just have to read them. I probably delete 95% (if not more) of these without passing them on and making them even more “viral.” But some I just can’t resist sharing. Like now. Here’s some that tugged at my heart so much I not only forwarded them but felt the need to write about them. The Hippo and the Tortoise Remember the tsunami of 2004 … Continue reading →

Sunny Boy! The Life and Times of a Tortoise – Candace Fleming

The tortoise has always preferred a very quiet sort of life, but all that changed one day when he was snatched off his rock, put in a box, and plunked on a ship, bound for New York. They had plans for him – he was going to become turtle soup! But as luck would have it, after arriving in New York, he bounced out of his box and landed on the lap of a diner. The man’s name was Pelonius Pimplewhite, and he decided to take the tortoise home with him. Pelonius was a horticulturist, and he had a wonderful … Continue reading →